Page 36 of Protection for Rowan

“Shit. I bet that’s it.”

Jennifer shook her head then shrugged. “You know what, my mom and dad are about an hour from there at a conference. I bet they could drive over and see.”

“Could you ask them? Please. And could I have the address?”

Jennifer blew out a breath. "I guess. But I doubt he took her over there. He's lazy, and I'm not sure he's smart enough to remember where the cabin was."

"I'll take my chances on it. So far, we can't find her. We need a break, and this might be that break we need."

Jennifer called her dad and told him what was going on. The guy promised to drive over this evening. That was more than he thought he would get. After she ended the call, he asked for the address, and she texted it to him. Now he had her number and could call if he had further questions.

With the address in hand, he thanked Jennifer and then took off back to the car. Griz and Apple seemed glad that they had something to go on. Maybe this was the break they needed. He hoped they found Rowan at the cabin. The thought of her dying out there hit, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't push the fear from his mind.

Chapter 28

Rowan heldher breath as a key sounded in the lock. It sounded like two people were talking on the porch. Maybe one guy and one woman. Her hands shook as she waited for either salvation or horror. The door opened, and she stilled, trying to hear what they were saying.

“It doesn’t look like anyone is here,” the woman said. “The lights are off.”

Suddenly light leaked into the bathroom like they’d turned on the light. “What the hell?” the man said and then Rowan felt a tug on the chain at her ankle.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she realized these people weren't looking for her. Hopefully, they would be kind enough to help her get free.

“Is someone here?” the man called out.

A sob wrenched from Rowan broke her silence. “I-I’m here. Please don’t hurt me.”

“Honey, shh. Let me,” the woman said quietly. “It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you. My name is Ellen. What is your name?”

Rowan adjusted, then pulled open the door and peekedout. She felt like all the strength left her body. "Rowan," she whispered.

Ellen came closer, her eyes narrowing. “Jeff, call the sheriff. This is the woman.”

Rowan couldn't stop the tears. The longer they sat there without the police showing up, the more fear invaded. After about ten minutes, she met the man's gaze and spoke up. "What if he comes back?"

“Don’t worry about that. He won’t come back. The police are almost here. I know it takes them longer, but we are on the edge of their area. I promise that you will be safe.”

She nodded, unsure why she believed this man, but she knew she could trust him. Relief made it difficult to concentrate. She closed her eyes at one point and may have drifted a bit before she finally heard sirens in the distance. Her eyes flashed open, and Ellen was right there.

"You're going to be fine. Your boyfriend found my daughter. She used to date Charles. That's why we're here. We weren't going to come to the cabin. We were at a conference close by, but opening the place up would have necessitated cleaning. I didn't want to spend a half day cleaning. I'm so glad she told us to come out here. I can't imagine…"

Rowan wasn’t sure what to say. They knew it had been Charles who’d done this. Her boyfriend. Ellen must mean Shine.

Relief filled her. Shine wanted to be with her, or he at least wanted her found. That meant something. Would he still want her after everything that happened?

Chapter 29

Shine wasabout an hour away when he got word that Rowan was being taken to a nearby hospital. Griz pulled over while Shine put in the address for the hospital, finding that it was only fifteen minutes from his location. He loaded directions and Griz took off.

All the fear and worry, along with the anger, came out in a harsh breath. "She's alive."

“That’s good.”

“I don’t know what condition she’s in. I’ve seen guys blown to heck, but Griz, I feel this.”

“I’m sure you do. We all know disaster could strike on a mission, but our family at home is supposed to be safe. But you’re going to walk in there and hold it together no matter what you find out.”

He wasn’t sure if he could really hold it together. Rowan was alive, but she would have scars. He didn't care about physical scars. Those wouldn't matter to him. The internal stuff would take her longer to recover from. He hoped her training in psychology would help her recover,but he knew from experience accepting defeat in a strength you think you own was hard.

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